The Quest For 'A Charlie Brown Christmas'
by boop-oop-ee-doo
Summary: Willow's Child Universe. Xander falls into a depression after his 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' VHS wears out, threatening to ruin his Christmas Traditions. The other Scoobies unite to get him a new copy by Christmas Eve, a task that turns out to be easier said than done.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy. I do own Sophie, Lily, Jesse and Echo :)

AN: This takes place the year after one of my previous Christmas fics, 'How Faith And Her Little Helpers Saved Christmas', So Sophie is Six, Lily is two, and Jesse is just over one.

* * *

"It's December!" cried Xander excitedly on the First day of the twelfth month of the year, as he bounced excitedly into the Kitchen, where Anya was feeding their son. "The 19th of December!"

"Dember!" Jesse giggled.

"That's right, Buddy" Xander grinned. "One week until Christmas, and Christmas means.."

"Everybody spending an obnoxiously large amount of money on things they don't really need and will have forgotten about by this time next year?" Anya replied.

"Boy, way to kill the mood, Ahn" Xander frowned. "I was going to say Christmas Specials."

* * *

"You were too little to really appreciate this last Christmas" said Xander, rummaging through a box of old VHS tapes while Jesse, newly walking, stumbled around the room, "But this year, I know you're going to love it! Ah, here it is!" He pulled a well-loved, slightly faded video case from the box. "'A Charlie Brown Christmas'. Want to come sit and watch it with Daddy?"

"Dada!" Jesse beamed, toddling over and plopping himself down on his little diapered butt near Xander. He loved his Daddy.

Xander grinned and placed the tape in the VCR, only to be met with fuzzy black and white blurs when it played.

"That's funny, it worked okay last year." He frowned, gently banging the top of the machine. Maybe the tape was in the wrong position.."

* * *

_"Deck the halls with bells of Holly, Fa la la la la, la la la la..."_

Meanwhile, the rest of the Scooby Gang were singing Carols as they decorated their Christmas tree.

_"'Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la, la la la la.."_

"Auntie Faith!"

The force of her six-year-old favorite niece's glare caused the Dark Slayer to freeze like a naughty child, popcorn filled hand halfway to her mouth.

"You're not 'sposed to eat the popcorn!"

"Yeah, Auntie Faith" Buffy playfully mocked. "You're supposed to be making a chain for the tree."

"I was! But.. Well.. Lilypad was eatin' it.." Faith grumbled.

"Lilypad is two" Buffy reminded her.

"Okay, fine, I won't eat anymore" She sighed, going back to working on the chain as she was supposed to.

When they were all engrossed in their designated Christmas tasks once again, none of them noticed the sprig of mistletoe that seemed to float away by itself..

* * *

The Mistletoe floated into the Kitchen to hover over the heads of Willow and Tara, who were assembling a Gingerbread House.

"What the.." Willow looked up at the sprig, and, in typical Willow fashion, began to panic and overreact. "How is the Mistletoe floating by itself?!"

"Willow.."

"Oh God, what if all our Christmas decorations are possessed.."

"Willow.."

"By ghosts..

"Willow.."

"Or demons.."

"Willow!" Tara grabbed her Wife's shoulders to calm her. "It's not a ghost, or a demon."

"It's not?" Willow frowned.

"No" Tara chuckled, pointing towards the grinning two-year old standing behind them. "It's a Lily."

"Oh" Willow relaxed, smiling. "That's okay then."

"Kiss, Mommies!" Lily giggled. "Misslytoe mean kiss!"

"That it does" Willow agreed seriously.

"It's a Christmas tradition" Tara nodded, pulling Willow closer. "And we can't break a Christmas Tradition.."

"Nope.." Willow leaned in.

"Definitely not.."

"Yay!" Lily cheered, clapping her hands.

* * *

Jesse watching his parents, confused.

"This is horrible! Seriously, this is up there with one of the worst things that's ever happened!"

'Why does Daddy look so sad?', Jesse wondered. Lily told him that nobody was 'sposed to be sad at Christmas.

"I don't see why you're so upset about this, Xander" Anya frowned. "It's just an old video.."

"Just an old video?!" yelled Xander in disbelief.

Jesse covered his ears. Daddy wasn't usually so loud.

"Well.. Yes."

"It's not just an old video, Anya, not to me!" cried Xander in despair. "I've watched that movie every year since I was a kid. It's one of the few pleasant memories of my childhood. Without it.. Christmas is ruined."

Jesse's little face twisted into a frown. This wasn't right at all. Somebody had to fix Christmas for his Daddy..


	2. A Bigger Problem

Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy. I do own Sophie, Lily, Jesse and Echo :)

AN: Sorry, everyone! I went away for Christmas and couldn't take my computer. Don't worry, I'll finish this and get back to my other stories as soon as possible.

* * *

_"Liwy?" _

The Two-year old looked up from the toys she had been playing with. Developing their friendship while Jesse was still in the Womb, he and Lily had, unbeknownst to their parents, already formed a telepathic link of the sort the adult Scoobies hadn't mastered until their early Twenties.

_"Jesse?" _A frown crossed the little girl's face. Her friend sounded worried. _"Wha's wrong?"_

_"Daddy sad."_

While he was only just beginning to speak, Lily, hovering in the stage between baby and child, understood Jesse's baby-talk, including the parts still indecipherable by the grown-ups.

_"Why?"_

_"I 'tink he boked his favit thingy tha' makes funny picturs on da TB."_

_"DVD?"_

Lily could feel Jesse shaking his head.

_"Nuh-uh. Oder one."_

_"Oh."_

_"Daddy sayed Cwhistmas was ruined."_

_"Oh no! That's bad."_

_"Gotsa fix it. Help?"_

_"Uh-huh." _

Lily stood, determined, and ran through the House, yelling at the top of her lungs.

"Mommy Wiwow! Mama Tawa! Sophie! Evvybody! We gotsa save Unckie Xander's Cwissymas!"

* * *

And, after discovering, through a phone call to Anya, that Xander's chances of a happy Christmas were in fact in danger, the Scoobies set about doing just that(No one really questioned how Lily knew Xander was upset. Ah, the joys of magical children).

Both Willow and Buffy each tried to give him their own special brands of best friend comfort. No luck.

Faith gave him a 'Suck it up and get over it' speech. That didn't work either. Neither did letting him win at their favorite video game.

Tara's pancakes didn't help either. Xander usually loved Tara's pancakes.

Sophie and Lily did the Snoopy dance for their Uncle, trying to coax a smile out of him with adorable-ness. Unfortunately, being Snoopy related, it only made Xander feel worse.

Anya.. Well, nobody really needed to know the details of what Anya did. Just that it didn't work.

Xander was still depressed. He had still lost his Christmas spirit.

* * *

They all continued to try, of course, but when Christmas Eve arrived, nothing had changed.

"What are we going to do?" Willow sighed.

"I don't know" Buffy pouted. "We've tried everything, and Xander's still Mr. Cranky-Pants."

"Everything except the most obvious thing" said Faith, seeming to suddenly realize something. "Actually, I'm kinda surprised that I'm the only one who's thought of it, considerin' I've never been the brains of this outfit. You're losin' your touch, Red."

"But what is it?" cried Buffy. "What's this obvious thing we're all forgetting?"

"Just get a new copy of the damn movie!" Faith replied.

The others shared a look.

"For a group of relatively smart people, we can be pretty stupid" Tara groaned.

"Uh-huh" Willow agreed. "We took so long to work out this very simple solution to the Xander problem that we've given ourselves an even bigger one."

"What's that, Red?" asked Faith.

"Going to the Mall on Christmas Eve."

"Oh." For a while, they fell silent. "Shit."

Though the girls were nearby, nobody called Faith out on her language. There was no other way to describe their situation.

* * *

AN: Sorry! I went on a last-minute trip for Christmas, then got horrible writer's block. Don't worry, I'll finish this as soon as possible.


	3. Mall Trouble

Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy. I do own Sophie, Lily, Jesse and Echo :)

* * *

Our brave Scooby heroes decided that they still needed needed to help Xander no matter what trouble it would cause them. So, they piled into the Mini-van that they'd recently bought for family trips, picked up Anya and Jesse, and, with Faith at the wheel, now found themselves circling The Mall's Parking Lot on Christmas Eve searching desperately for a space.

"Look, there's.. Oh never mind, there was a really tiny car in it."

"There.. No, some other guy got it."

"There!"

"That's a Disabled spot, B."

"Oh.."

"Quick, somebody pretend to be a cripple!"

"Anya!" Willow gasped.

"What?"

"Even when I was playin' for the bad guys I never stooped that low" said Faith, shaking her head. "I'm not gonna start now."

"But we've been driving around in circles for an hour!" Anya whined.

"I know" Faith groaned.

They drove around and around and around. And around and around some more. Until..

"Pram spot, pram spot!" cried Sophie, pointing. "We got prams!"

"Alright! Nice one, Little Red" Faith grinned, pulling into the spot.

"Okay, here's the plan" said Buffy, taking charge, after they had all poured out of the car and Lily and Jesse were strapped into their strollers. "We split up, and search every possible store where we could find a copy of 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' on DVD. Got it? Good. Let's go!"

* * *

"It's very crowded in here" said Tara as she pushed through the masses with her eldest daughter, searching shelves of DVDs as they went. "Make sure you stay close, okay Sweetie?"

"Okay, Mama Tara" Sophie replied. They continued to search. And search. And search some more. "This is gonna take a long time, isn't it?"

"I'm afraid so" Tara sighed.

Suddenly, they heard a whoop from elsewhere in the store, and looked around, seeing an excited Faith a few aisles away. She quickly spotted them.

"Oh, Hey T!" The Dark Slayer wove through the crowd towards them, a DVD case clutched triumphantly in her hand. "Hey, Little Red."

"What are you doing here Auntie Faith?" Sophie frowned. "We were 'sposed to split up."

"I didn't know you were here" Faith shrugged. "B didn't tell us where to go. Doesn't matter now anyway, 'cause I found what we're lookin' for!" she held up the DVD.

"Great!" said Tara, until she got a closer look at the cover, and her face fell. "Oh."

"What's 'oh'?" Faith frowned.

"You got the wrong movie, Auntie Faith" said Sophie.

"What?"

"She's right" Tara sighed again. "We need 'A Charlie Brown Christmas'. You've got 'I Want A Dog For Christmas, Charlie Brown'."

"It's not as good as 'A Charlie Brown Christmas'" said Sophie, at an age where she was beginning to notice differing quality in cartoons. "And it won't make Uncle Xander feel better."

"Damn it!" Faith groaned. "Oh well, better keep lookin'. How about we just stick together for now, get this place done quicker?"

"Sounds like a plan" Tara agreed, nodding.

* * *

Meanwhile in another store, Willow was pushing Lily's stroller through the Entertainment Department, when she heard a shriek of rage. A very familiar shriek of rage. She ran around trying to find the source of the noise, before seeing Anya, rolling around on the floor with some other woman, locked in a vicious catfight with some other woman over a DVD. Jesse watched wide-eyed from his own stroller.

"Give it to me!" Anya screeched.

"No!" The other woman snapped.

"Anya!" Willow cried, settling Lily's stroller beside Jesse's and then trying to break up the fight, no easy task because, probably due to some residual demon-ness, Anya was physically stronger than Willow by a rather wide margin, and Willow couldn't really use magic right in the middle of the Mall. "Anya, what the hell are you doing? Stop!"

"I can't!" Anya growled. "This is the last copy of Xander's movie!"

"We'll find another one somewhere else!"

"You don't know that!"

Lily and Jesse shared a look. The adults were getting nowhere. It was time to take matters into their own tiny hands. So, Lily magically snapped open their buckles, letting them climb out of their strollers and toddle away, hand in hand, into the crowded Mall..


	4. Really? Again?

Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy. I do own Sophie, Lily, Jesse and Echo :)

* * *

Eventually, Willow zapped Anya with a tiny bolt of magic to force her into releasing the other woman, who quickly ran away with 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' in hand, crying out in victory.

"Why did you do that for?" Anya growled. "I almost had it!"

"You almost got yourself arrested!"

"You're exaggerating!"

"Am I?" Willow cried. "How badly would you have been willing to hurt that woman if I hadn't shown up when I did?"

"Well.."

"Exactly! I know how much Xander loves that movie, I really do.."

As her friend began to rant, Anya's attention wandered, until her gaze fell on the two empty strollers, her eyes widening in horror.

"Willow.."

"Don't interrupt! How would Xander feel if he had to spend his Christmas visiting you in.."

"WILLOW!" Anya shrieked, grabbing her friend's face and turning it towards the empty strollers. "OUR BABIES ARE GONE!"

They looked at each other for a moment, then did what anyone would do in their situation. Screamed, grabbed the strollers, and dashed madly through the store, frantically yelling their children's names.

* * *

Meanwhile, Tara, Sophie, and Faith were still searching in their store, when Tara's cellphone rang.

"It's Willow" She grinned. "Maybe she's found something.." That grin fell away as soon as she answered the call. "Will, slow down, I can't understand you. They what?! Okay, calm down, everything's going to be fine" She was trying not to panic as much as Willow obviously was. Faith and Sophie exchanged worried looks as they listened. "No, don't be sorry Sweetie. We all know what Lily's like with her powers. Faith's with me and Sophie. We'll call if we find them."

"Find who, T?" asked Faith with a frown after she had hung up.

"Jesse and Lily escaped from their strollers and wandered off."

"What? Again?!" said Faith in disbelief.

"Yes, again" Tara sighed. "Come on, let's go find them.."

* * *

Buffy had become slightly distracted by a 50 % off Shoe sale when her cell rang.

"Hey, Anya. Did you find.. What? Again?!" She yelled into the phone, unaware that she'd just echoed her Wife's reaction to the situation. "No, Anya, I know this is bad but stop screaming so loud, you'll scare people. I'll run up to customer service and get them to put out an announcement. I'll call you back if I find them, just try to stay calm, okay?"

* * *

"This is all your fault!" Anya snapped at Willow after Buffy had hung up. "Passing your stupid powers onto your daughter?"

"Me?" Willow yelled. "Oh no, this was definitely a you thing! We would have been watching them if I hadn't had to stop you.. Why are we even arguing? We need to find our kids!"

* * *

"I mean really, again?" Faith asked no one in particular as they began a whole new search. She was piggybacking Sophie, who's legs had grown tired. "Jeez, I thought, 'Rugrats' exaggerated about how often this stuff happens in real life but apparently I was wrong."

"Well, most babies don't have magic powers" said Tara. "Lily! If you can hear me come out right now!"

"Hang on!" cried Lily suddenly.

"What is it, Little Red?" Faith glanced around quickly.

"Do you see them?" asked Tara, also looking around.

"No" said Sophie, "But I can feel Lily."

"Show us the way then, kiddo" said Faith.

"That way!" Sophie pointed, and the adults followed.

* * *

Luckily, Jesse and Lily were not completely alone in the crowded Mall, because it just so happened that a certain member of the Powers-that-be had taken it upon herself to be Jesse's Guardian Angel.

Cordelia, remaining invisible to the Mall's patrons, walked behind the toddlers, making sure no harm befell them. She knew that, really, she should grab them both right now and take them back to their frantic Mothers. On the other hand, nothing could happen to them while she was watching. What harm could it do to help them accomplish their little mission first? Cordy nodded, her decision made. She raised a hand making a sparkling trail, visible only to them, appear before the children's eyes.

"Sparklies!" cried Lily excitedly as she began to follow it, dragging Jesse along behind her.


	5. The way it's 'sposed to be

Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy. I do own Sophie, Lily, Jesse and Echo :)

* * *

While his Girlfriend and best friends desperately searched The Mall for the missing children, Xander was still laying on the couch in front of the TV, moping. But then, the opening titles of 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' flashed onto the screen. Xander bolted upright, eyes brightening.

"Anya!" He called, "Ahn, go get Jesse, 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' is.." Then he remembered. Anya and Jesse weren't there. They'd gone to the Mall with the other Scoobies. Xander sighed, suddenly realising what an idiot he'd been. The reason he'd needed 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' as a child was as an escape, from his Parents who were always too busy fighting to spend a proper Christmas with him. But he had his own family now, he had Anya and there beautiful little boy. An old Christmas Special, great as it was, meant nothing if he couldn't share it with them.

So, for the first time in Days, Xander stood up, intending to go out and retrieve his Family right away, and apologize for his behavior .. Until he sniffed himself and realised he'd better have a shower first.

* * *

Meanwhile, now safe under Cordelia's watchful eye, Lily and Jesse followed the trail of 'Sparklies' she was making for them. It lead them through The Mall to the one DVD store that The Scoobies hadn't been able to search before they'd pulled off their little jailbreak from their strollers, and then, eventually to a shelf, upon which a lone copy of 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' sat, surrounded by a multitude of other Christmas Specials.

"Dada Moobee!" cried Jesse excitedly, reaching up on his little tippy-toes to grab it from the shelf. Luckily it wasn't too high for him.

"Yay!" Lily cheered. "We gots it!"

"Now Mama?" Jesse asked, looking around.

"Um.." Lily's face fell as she realized she had absolutely no idea how to get back to their Mothers. Jesse noticed.

"I wan' Mama!" He wailed.

_Okay, _Cordy thought as she watched, _Time to step in. _She looked around, hoping none of the other customers would notice, before making herself visible.

"Cordy!" Lily cried, running to hug her leg.

"Co-dee!" Jesse cooed, mirroring his best friend's actions.

"Hey there, Munchkins" Cordelia grinned, scooping up a toddler in each arm. "You shouldn't have wandered off like that, your Mommies are very worried about you."

"We're sowwy" said Lily, wearing her most adorable guilty expression. Jesse just nodded solemnly in agreement.

"Sure you are" Cordy chuckled. "Well, come on, let's pay for that DVD and then we'll go find them.."

* * *

After spending what felt like hours driving around the Mall Parking Lot in search of a space, Xander finally found one. He leapt out of the car and rushed towards the entrance, dialling Anya's cell as he went. No reply. He tried Willow instead. Still no luck. Buffy, Faith, Tara.. Nope. Why weren't they picking up their damn phones?

* * *

Because they were too busy calling each other every few minutes, that's why. Xander had just been unlucky enough to call each of them at the exact moment they were talking to another member of the group.

"Still nothing?" Willow asked her Wife down the phone, feeling her heart drop.

_"Nothing" _Tara confirmed, not feeling any better herself. _"We'll just have to keep looking."_

"Yeah, us too" Willow sighed. "Bye.."

"It's hopeless!" Anya shrieked. "They're gone! I'm never going to see my tiny human again! I didn't even get to teach him about the joys of money!"

"Anya, calm down!" yelled Willow, grabbing her friend and shaking her slightly. "We _will _find Lily and Jesse. We have to.."

At that moment, a voice rang out over the Mall's loudspeakers.

_"Attention Rosenberg and Harris families, Your missing children have been located. You can retrieve them at the Service desk, located on Level 2. Thank you."_

Willow and Anya shared a look, then rushed for the nearest elevator.

* * *

"Oh, Thank God" Buffy breathed a sigh of relief, before sending a text to Dawn to tell her not to worry, she and Connor didn't have to rush over and join the search anymore.

* * *

"Yay!" Sophie cheered. "They found them!"

"Great" said Faith, scooping her niece up and taking off at a run. "Now let's go grab them before Lilypad decides to pull another jailbreak."

"Definitely" Tara agreed.

* * *

"Missing children?!" Xander yelped when he heard the announcement, having been searching the Mall for his Wife and friends. He sped off, wondering about the quickest way to get to Level 2.

* * *

"Mama?" Jesse asked, looking up at Cordelia while they waited by the desk.

"Don't worry kiddo, your Mom should be arriving in about, oh.. Now" Cordy grinned as a nearby set of elevator doors opened, and Willow and Anya came speeding out.

"Mommy Willow!" cried Lily happily, running off towards her."

"Lily!" cried Willow, relieved, scooping the two-year old into her arms. "Don't you _ever _run off like that again, You hear me?"

"Jesse!" Anya yelled.

"Mama!" Jesse grinned, toddling towards her.

"Oh, my Tiny Human!" She swept him up, showering his little face with kisses. "I thought I'd never see you again!"

Faith, Tara, and Sophie came speeding around one corner, Buffy from another.

"Thank God!" cried Tara, hugging Willow and Lily.

"I'm technically not a God, but you know, whatever.." Cordelia smirked.

"Queen C?" Faith frowned, letting Sophie down from her place atop her shoulders, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I promised that one's Daddy I'd keep a special eye on him" Cordy nodded at Jesse. "And speaking of that ones Daddy, he should be arriving right about.." The elevator opened again, letting Xander rush through the doors. "..Now."

He breathed a massive sigh of relief once he noted that all Scooby children were present and accounted for.

"Anya!" He called as he sprinted over to them. "Oh Ahn, I am so sorry."

"Xander?" She frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"Dada.." Jesse tried to present him with the DVD, which had gone unnoticed in the commotion.

"I needed to apologize, to all of you" He continued, looking around at his friends.

"Dada.."

"I lost track of what's really important.."

"Dada.."

"..I almost ruined our Christmas over a dumb old movie, and I am so sorry."

"Dada!" Jesse tugged on Xander's sleeve, finally getting his attention.

"For me?" He gasped taking the DVD

"We founded it" said Lily proudly.

"Thank you, Buddy" Xander smiled, ruffling his son's hair. "You too, Lily. Uh, not that I didn't mean everything I just said, but what's say we all head back to my place and watch this?"

Everyone murmured in agreement, and headed off.

"Are you coming, Cordy?" asked Sophie, offering the Power her hand.

"Why not?" she shrugged. "They won't miss me yet."

The two fell behind a little.

"This was all 'sposed to happen like this, wasn't it?" Sophie asked.

"Cheeky. You know I can't tell you that."

"You don't need to."


End file.
